Unlocking the potential of marine aquaculture in Ho Chi Minh City: Boosting value with technology

After nearly 20 years of marine fish farming at Ben Dam Port (Con Dao Special Zone), Mr. Le Van Quan invested in an HDPE cage system using Norwegian technology to replace traditional methods, aiming to adapt to climate change, improve productivity, and prevent disease outbreaks.

So far, he has operated the system for more than two years. “The advantage of this technology-based cage system is its high durability. It can withstand strong waves and winds, resist chemicals, and is not corroded or rusted by seawater, which greatly reduces repair and maintenance costs,” Mr. Quan shared.

Thanks to this system, in addition to grouper, cobia, and pompano, Mr. Quan has confidently expanded to farming other high-value marine species such as eel, red grouper, leatherjacket, and abalone. These efforts generate returns 20-50% higher than traditional wooden cage farming. To further enhance efficiency and suit Con Dao’s unique conditions, he is seeking local government approval to integrate industrial-scale marine farming with tourism, for example, developing recreational fishing alongside aquaculture cages.

Bài liên quan

Unlocking the potential of marine aquaculture in Ho Chi Minh city: Untapped advantages

The HDPE cage system used by Mr. Quan was supplied and advised by STP Group. This material is recyclable, environmentally friendly, and does not pollute the water, while also helping farmers significantly reduce maintenance costs compared to traditional wooden or steel cages.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai Binh, CEO of STP Group, the company goes beyond supplying materials by working with fishers to apply technology that minimizes risks from disease and weather fluctuations. “We can support marine farmers with modern solutions such as automatic feeding systems, surveillance cameras, and environmental monitoring devices, while also updating farming data to build a Big Data system for the fisheries sector,” Ms. Binh shared.

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Minh Dung, a farmer in Long Son Commune, currently operates more than 30 oyster cages at the Cha Va estuary (Ganh Rai Bay). Previously a fish farmer, he shifted to oyster cultivation in 2023, after recognizing the rapid growth of the milk oyster market in Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

By applying a new technique of implanting embryos into oyster shells, Dung has tripled his oyster farming productivity. He sources seed from reputable hatcheries, implants embryos into oyster shells, strings them into ropes of 100 shells each, and submerges them in seawater. After two weeks, he separates them, leaving only five shells per rope. Three months later, he thins them again before placing individual shells into baskets and lowering them back into the water.

“Farming in baskets prevents oysters from pushing each other off as they grow and ensures even development,” Mr. Dung explained. With this embryo implantation technique, oyster yields reach up to 3 tons per cage. At a market price of 20,000 - 22,000 VND per kilogram, after expenses, he earns a profit of 300 - 400 million VND (around 12,000 - 16,000 USD) per year.

As one of the pioneers in marine aquaculture in Vung Tau, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thang invested in seed fish production as early as 2010, when market demand was still in its infancy. After nearly 15 years, his company, Seafish, has grown into a closed-loop production chain with three hatcheries, one broodstock facility, and one commercial fish farm. “This closed system allows Seafish to control every stage, from broodstock selection, egg incubation, and nursery rearing to supplying high-quality seed fish for marine farming,” he shared.

Notably, in the Cha Va River area (Long Son Commune), the company has built a demonstration farm where customers can directly see the model’s effectiveness and receive technical guidance. Through this approach, Seafish not only sells seed fish but also builds credibility by providing technical support services to farmers.

According to Mr. Thang, the seed fish market has seen stable growth in recent years, not only in Ba Ria-Vung Tau but also across southern Vietnam, with an average annual growth rate of over 20%. Since 2016, the company has expanded into export markets, shipping seed fish to Eastern Europe as well as Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, and Dubai.

Currently, marine cage farming and bivalve mollusk farming in the Ba Ria-Vung Tau area cover about 163 hectares, with over 400 rafts and approximately 14,000 cages. The main species farmed include grouper, seabass, pompano, cobia, red snapper, and bivalve mollusks (Pacific oyster and native oyster), with an average annual output of around 8,000 tons. In addition, some facilities farm spiny lobster, while in the Con Dao Special Zone, one company operates a 100-hectare pearl oyster farm.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Na, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Agriculture and Environment, the sector plans to reorganize the currently small-scale and scattered marine farms. This will be done through community-based management models and cooperative groups that work together in production, product marketing, and environmental protection.

“The department is also studying ways to combine marine aquaculture with other economic activities such as tourism and exports to make better use of existing infrastructure. At the same time, this policy will support offshore production activities, aiming to reduce fishing pressure, balance social demand with marine resource conservation, and promote sustainable fisheries,” Ms. Na noted.

Previously, the People’s Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province (prior to the merger) had issued an Action Plan for Fisheries Development to 2030, targeting a total aquaculture output of 23,000 tons per year. The plan also emphasized encouraging high-tech aquaculture models (especially marine farming) with recreational, artisanal, and jewelry applications, oriented toward commercial production to serve tourism and export markets.